A macabre discovery beneath Brighton s Royal Pavilion has links to the horrors of Pol Pot’s Cambodia in this absorbing mystery.

Ex-Chief Constable Bob Watts is hoping to ease gently into his new role as Brighton s first Police Commissioner but is hit with a shocking scandal involving the director of the Royal Pavilion. In the subsequent investigation, Detective Inspector Sarah Gilchrist and Detective Sergeant Bellamy Heap are bemused by the discovery of looted antiquities from Cambodia s Angkor Watt in the tunnels beneath the Pavilion, but the further discovery of a corpse gives their investigation a darker hue.

As does the arrival in Brighton of a man who was once caught up in the horror of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime. A man for whom redemption has become retribution.

My Review

I enjoyed this book even though it was a bit strange. It was typical British lit, filled with quirky characters who held my interest even though there wasn’t much happening. The mystery was not very mysterious, but it was still a fun read. There was a good bit of Cambodian history throughout the story, which I found interesting. It is not an area I’m very familiar with, so that was a plus. I always like learning about new cultures and their histories.

There was a POV shift that was extremely jarring. It kept shifting to the POV of someone in Cambodia who was rather disturbed and violent. It was also written in 2nd person which made it even weirder. Until they finally revealed who that person was, it was as if I, the reader, was that person. It made me feel like I needed a bath every time I got in the guys head. In addition to the POV shifts, he was having flashbacks as well. It got a bit confusing in spots.

Overall, it was enjoyable. Other than the few things I mentioned above, it was a quick and fun read.

Special Thanks…

I’d like to give a shout out to Netgalley, Severn House Publishers and Peter Guttridge for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.